Review

Kerouac have changed yet again. Pariso, despite losing their vocalist, have just gotten about 10 times more rad. That’s pretty much the sum of these two UK hardcore acts latest 5” split release. The former have managed to get tighter and garner even more depth despite gaining some (wait for this one) melody. The latter have just shortened their songs down to powerviolence length which is probably the type of music they were meant to make all along.

In fact, all the tracks on this split clock in at an average of 30 seconds or so. The 5 part “Fiends” series offered by Kerouac might just be their best *song* yet. It manages to be wholly different from what they did on both Cold and Distant and their last split with The Long Haul. “Fiends” slows things down bit by bit allowing the spotlight to fall on Kerouac’s songwriting and lyrical prowess (because they’ve always been killer lyricists. Don’t believe me? Go read the sheets for C and D. It’s practically a religious experience.) Pariso, on the other hand, find themselves being something of a bastard spawn of Crossbreaker, Lavotchkin, and some good British powerviolence band that I’m sure has to exist. Hell they even named one song “Blastbeast" for Satan’s sake. It’s almost a shame that the original line-up is falling through after this record because to say they’ve improved their sound from Sooner Insignificant Better is an understatement.

The two sides of the split are polar opposites but fully capable of bringing the mosh. This is some real headbanger shit folks, and it’s easily one of the best tag-team hardcore releases of 2011 thus far.

haha man I thought Cold and Distant, Not Loving was short I guess I'm just a hxc n0000b. But I don't know, I liked how Cold and Distant was short and easy to digest, I think it's length was a strength, but there's a limit to that strategy, and I think this album toys with that limit so I think I'll stay away from the REALLY short stuff.